NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Detroit, TX
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Detroit, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 89 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 89
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Detroit
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Detroit; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1918, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The record near Detroit begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 24 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 67% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Detroit. The highest rating among the 89 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on November 4, 2022, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 2, 1982, killed 10 people. Of the 89, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 31 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 753 Texas cities, 62% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Detroit. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 63 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 753 Texas cities, 60% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Detroit.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Detroit
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Detroit: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Detroit
By decade
- 2020s12(2 EF3+)
- 2010s11
- 2000s8
- 1990s16
- 1980s17(3 EF3+)
- 1970s13
- 1960s9(2 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1982 | F4 | in town | 23 mi | 10 / 170 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF4 | 9 mi | 60.23 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF4 | 20 mi | 44.71 mi | 0 / 11 |
| May 13, 1981 | F4 | 18 mi | 8.8 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 14 mi | 52 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 27, 1969 | F3 | 4 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 12, 1961 | F3 | 7 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 2025 | EF2 | 12 mi | 21.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 13, 2022 | EF2 | 24 mi | 10.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 22, 2020 | EF2 | 12 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 12, 2015 | EF2 | 24 mi | 7.32 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 14, 2003 | F2 | 23 mi | 78.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 89, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Detroit
The Storm Prediction Center has 63 hail reports within 10 miles of Detroit since 1974, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 40 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently May 29, 2019. The most recent report is from May 22, 2024. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Detroit
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Clarksville 2NE, TX, 12 miles east of Detroit at 435 feet. July and August are the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 32°F. May is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 49.5 inches over 63 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 72 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 57 nights a year. That 49.5 inches is more than at 264 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (85%). Blossom, 6 miles west, has its own station (Paris, TX): 49.0 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 96°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Mar | 65 | 43 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Apr | 73 | 50 | 4.6 | 5 |
| May | 80 | 61 | 5.9 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 3.1 | 4 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 53 | 5.0 | 5 |
| Nov | 65 | 42 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Dec | 56 | 34 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Year | 74 | 52 | 49.5 | 63 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Clarksville 2NE, TX (435 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Detroit
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 36 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Detroit: 25 thunderstorm wind reports and 11 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 9, 2016. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 11. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 227 have had fewer than Detroit.
June 23, 2026: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Detroit — $1.0 million damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Red River County, which includes Detroit, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1966, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 fires, 5 floods, 5 severe storms, 4 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 17, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Red River County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.6 million a year, the 104th highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.8 million (11%), is from tornadoes.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Detroit
- Blossom, TX6 mi
- Clarksville, TX13 mi
- Bogata, TX15 mi
- Paris, TX16 mi
- Powderly, TX17 mi
- Fort Towson, OK26 mi
- Valliant, OK28 mi
- Hugo, OK28 mi
- Avery, TX29 mi
- Idabel, OK29 mi
- Sumner, TX29 mi
- Cooper, TX32 mi
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